We're on day 8 and my son will only sleep if one of us is holding him. The second we put him down he wakes up screaming. We've tried the bassinet, the co-sleeper, everything. My wife is exhausted and I feel helpless. Is this normal? How long does this last? My back is killing me but I don't want to complain when she's the one actually recovering from labor.
This is totally normal newborn stuff. All three of mine did this in those early weeks. It passes, I promise. In the meantime just accept the holding and try to get some rest when you can.
Day 8 is still super early, man. My son was the same way and it drove me nuts but everyone said it gets better. We're at 6 weeks now and he'll actually stay down sometimes. The fourth trimester is real.
Okay so this is just how it goes at first. We did contact naps for weeks. Get comfortable, find a good show to watch, and just... be the bed. He'll sleep in a bassinet eventually but right now you're his safe place.
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Day 8 is still in the trenches. This is so normal it's kind of wild. Your son needs to hear your heartbeat and feel safe. He's not being difficult, he's literally brand new. Take shifts with your wife and just accept that you're going to be human furniture for a bit.
The hardest part is accepting you can't put him down yet and that's completely fine. My son was the same way. Around week 4 or 5 it started getting easier but those first couple weeks? You're holding him.